Leaked document sheds light on next-generation Xbox, Kinect 2

Even though Microsoft confirmed that we wouldn’t see it, some fans were still disappointed the company didn’t reveal details regarding its next-generation Xbox gaming console at this year’s Electronics Entertainment Expo. A newly leaked 56-page document detailing the “Xbox 720” may ease those frustrations, however. The document, which appears to be from mid-2010, presents a road map for the future of the Xbox platform through 2015.

The Xbox 720 will include support for Blu-ray, true 1080p and native 3D output, and will be six times more powerful than the current Xbox. At the time this document was created, the company was planning to use six to eight 2GHz ARM/x86 cores, with two additional ARM/x86 cores that would power the console’s operating system and three PowerPC cores for backward-compatibility.

The documents suggest that Microsoft is currently working on a new Kinect accessory as well that will be more accurate, with dedicated hardware processing and support for four-player tracking. Other improvements include a higher quality RGB camera, stereo imaging and improved voice recognition.

Microsoft is also apparently planning to offer a head-mounted display device similar to Google’s Project Glass. The hands-free glasses will be able to connect to Xbox Live and deliver real-time information on people, places and objects. The product is referred to as both “Kinect Glasses” and “Fortaleza Glasses,” and is scheduled for a 2014 release according to the leak.

The information was originally posted on Scribed, and while there is no way to prove its authenticity, it has since been removed at the request of Covington & Burling, a law firm that represents Microsoft.